Brian Sims

When the US Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act in June, a number of Pennsylvania couples began challenging the state’s defense of marriage law in the courts.

If the law is struck down without legislation, according to two state legislators, certain protections will need to be in place.

In many Pennsylvania towns, the LGBT community is faced with a catch-22: although there are anti-discrimination laws for race, religion, sex, ethnicity etc., sexual orientation and gender identity are not protected. Cities such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have their own specific laws banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, but a large portion of the state does not.